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High School DxD
Anime Review
The anime industry has really redefined why we used to refer to the television as the "boob-tube". And the top-heavy female lead of 'High School DxD' makes us question if DxD isn't her cup-size, as every time she gets up from a chair, we're treated to gratuitous bounces.
Make no mistake, High School DxD is a fan-service extravaganza, but, dare we say, it's actually a well-done fan-service extravaganza. For starters, while the male protagonist is your typical "I wanna get laid" creep, he's actually honest about it, and isn't as creepy as most of these guys come off as. He's actually likable, which I will explain in a bit once you get a jist of the plot.
Kuoh Academy is an all-girls school that just recently became co-ed, so there's a very high female to male ratio, leading Issei Hyodo and his friends to think they'd be getting some action. However, none of them yet have a girlfriend. So, imagine his surprise when a girl asks him out. Things go well on the date until the evening, when the girl reveals herself to be a "fallen angel" and then kills our hero. Fortunately, he is revived from death by Rias Gremory, a zoftig demon (and the daughter of the devil), and as such he becomes her servant.
 Now, what makes him less creepy is that he was a perfect gentleman on that date. Also, while he wakes up the next day thinking it was all a dream only to discover Rias naked in his bed, and he freaks out, but, once he gets used to the idea that he's her slave, he actually takes everything in stride and tries to make the best of the situation. When he's given a task by her, he seems to try and put his best foot forward to pleasing her and performing his mission.
Of course, the promise that as he works for her, his own powers will grow, and he may eventually have his own slaves to do with as he pleases (and I'm sure he's imagining slave girls), helps with his motivation to do as he's told. But that doesn't change the fact that, with each mission he's given (there's some pretty good action sequences), he tries his best for a positive outcome, and help out where he can even with his limited abilities.
Don't get too involved with the plot, it's mostly there to prop-up the fan-service, but the fight scenes are fine, although clearly the most lavish animation and attention to detail in the production are spent on boobies.
 This show is honest what it's about, it's funny where it needs to be, action-oriented where it needs to be and overall is a fine waste of time as long as you're aware of what it is - don't go looking for anything deep, don't expect Shakespeare. This is what it is - an ecchi, uncensored, fan-service, boob-heavy, war between fallen angels, demons and other occult creatures of the night and it's pretty good at it. For fans of fan-service, this is about as good as it'll ever get, but if fan-service turns you off I advise to stay away.
That said; I personally found the entire thing enjoyable regardless because the characters and story were there in enough quantity, along with a fine soundtrack, fairly decent production value and well, I have to admit it - I am a guy after all - I can tolerate fan-service, if it's well done. And this, while it seems over-the-top, is actually well done.
Review by Brian Cirulnick, August 2014
Below: Scenes from High School DxD.
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Below: Illustrations for High School DxD.
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